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  Image forming apparatusUSPTO Application #: 20060098996Title: Image forming apparatus Abstract: The present invention aims to reduce the time period of the start up operation of an image forming apparatus corresponding to an image forming apparatus operating environment. The present invention provides an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a toner image forming unit for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; an image condition detection member for detecting an image condition of the image bearing member; a setting unit for setting a plurality of toner image forming conditions determined based on the output of the image condition detection member; an environment detection member for detecting an environment condition of outside air of the image forming apparatus; and a selection unit for selecting the toner image forming conditions set by the setting unit based on the output of the environment detection device from when the power is turned on to when transitioned to an image formable state. (end of abstract)
Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto - New York, NY, US Inventors: Takahiro Nakase, Naoyuki Yamamoto, Hitoshi Suzuki, Toshiharu Kondo, Yasuhiro Yoshimura USPTO Applicaton #: 20060098996 - Class: 399044000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Electrophotography, Control Of Electrophotography Process, Having Temperature Or Humidity Detection The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060098996. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the invention [0002] The present invention relates to an electro-photographic image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile and the like for electrostatically forming an image. [0003] 2. Related Background Art [0004] The start up time period of the image forming apparatus such as the printer, the copying machine, the facsimile and the like greatly depends on the temperature of the fixing device. That is, in these image forming apparatuses, the start up time period from when the power is turned on to when starting up to the image formable state is greatly influenced by the time it takes for the fixing device to reach the temperature capable of performing fixation. [0005] In order to reduce the start up time period, in recent years, the fixing roller is made thinner or an induction heating fixing method and the like is adopted. In the latter induction heating fixing method, the heat is generated at the fixing roller and the like by the eddy current produced by the magnetic field generated by the current flowing through the coil. [0006] Consequently, the influence of the fixing device on the start up time period is reduced. On the contrary, there is increased the influence of factors, other than the fixing device, on the start up time period of the image forming apparatus, for example, the start up time period of an auxiliary device such as a feeder for reading the document or a finisher for sorting the output paper, or a potential control time of the photosensitive surface for outputting an appropriate image and the like. [0007] This will be explained with reference to FIG. 12. In the figure, the axis of abscissa indicates time and the axis of ordinate indicates electric power. As shown in the figure, if the start up time period (warm up time period) of the fixing device is long, the start up time period of the auxiliary device and the potential control time are within the start up time period of the fixing device, and thus the time required until the image formable state is not greatly influence. However, if the start up time period of the fixing device is reduced as shown in FIG. 13, the time required until the image formable state is greatly influenced by the start up time period of the auxiliary device and the potential control time. In order to reduce the influence of the time for potential control, a method of omitting the step for potential control to reduce the time period is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-18196, as shown in FIG. 14. [0008] However, if the step for potential control is uniformly reduced, the problem in that the image stability may lack depending on the image forming operating environment arises. [0009] Further, depending on the image forming operating environment, the time until image formable state may differ. For instance, under a low temperature environment in which the start up time period of the fixing device is significantly longer than the normal environment, or under a high temperature high humidity environment that requires a drum rotating time for removing the moisture adhered, due to high humidity, to the photosensitive member (photosensitive drum) with a drum heater, the time until transitioning to the image formable state becomes longer than normal due to factors other than the potential control. [0010] Thus, depending on the image forming operating environment, the adjustment items for performing image formation is made uniform irrespective of the difference in time for transitioning to the image formable state, and when performing the remaining adjusting items after transitioning to the image formable state, the following problems arise. The start up time period becomes longer due to other factors, and even if there is extra time to perform the remaining adjusting items, the time for transitioning to the image formable state takes a long time, and further, the down time caused by implementation of the remaining adjusting items occur even if transitioned to the image formable state, thereby lowering the usability. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] The present invention aims to reduce the time period of the start up operation of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the image forming apparatus operating environment. [0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; toner image forming means for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; an image condition detection member for detecting an image condition of the image bearing member; setting means for setting a plurality of toner image forming conditions determined based on the output of the image condition detection member; an environment detection member for detecting an environment condition of outside air of the image forming apparatus; and selection means for selecting the toner image forming conditions set by the setting means based on the output of the environment detection means from when the power is turned on to when transitioned to an image formable state. [0013] Still another object of the present invention will be clearly understood from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applicable; [0015] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a warm up sequence; [0016] FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a standby sequence; [0017] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a warm up sequence under normal environment; [0018] FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a warm up sequence under low temperature environment; [0019] FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a warm up sequence under high humidity environment; [0020] FIG. 7 is a view explaining a first image forming condition determination mode performed under normal environment, a second image forming condition determination mode performed under low temperature environment, and a third image forming condition determination mode performed under high humidity environment; [0021] FIG. 8 is a view explaining the temperature property of the photosensitive drum; Continue reading... Full patent description for Image forming apparatus Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Image forming apparatus patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Image forming apparatus or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Device and method for measuring quantity of residual toner, image forming apparatus having such a device Next Patent Application: Method and apparatus for measuring color tone density of multipass color printer Industry Class: Electrophotography ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Image forming apparatus patent info. 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